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Canada: ACPA Chair Announces Statement on FMC Report

July 31, 2012

The Chair of the Association of Canadian Port Authorities (ACPA), Robin Silvester, has announced statement on the US Federal Maritime Commission report: “A Study of U.S. Inland Containerized Cargo Moving Through Canadian and Mexican Seaports”.

“Canadian port authorities operate as financially independent entities that compete effectively with ports across North America. While U.S. ports fund harbour maintenance through a nationally imposed fee, Canadian ports fund harbour maintenance, like dredging, through harbour dues set by each port authority and dependent on cost.

In recent years, Canadian ports have relentlessly and successfully pursued service improvements through collaborative supply chain efficiency programs and offered more reliable service thanks to labour agreements. Further, the Canadian supply chain is in the midst of generational improvements to road and rail infrastructure, like highways and overpasses, thanks to strong strategic leadership from senior levels of government and collaboration with the private sector. Multiple security and cargo screening processes have also been effectively and efficiently integrated into Canadian supply chain and cargo handling activities, in many cases as a direct result of the long standing close co-operation between US and Canadian border and security agencies.

ACPA views the U.S. FMC Report which found that carriers shipping cargo through Canadian and Mexican ports violate no U.S. law, treaty, agreement, or FMC regulation, as one step in the right direction, as it underscores the importance of ongoing free trade between Canada and the U.S. ACPA will move forward with cautious optimism that healthy competition, as well as close co-operation, will continue to take place between Canada and the U.S., as it has for many years.

Canadian ports do take this matter seriously and will continue to ensure that all of the relevant information is made available so that U.S. legislators can consider this important issue in a balanced and thoughtful way going forward.”